


Irresponsible

by whitedandelions



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, The Social Network (2010)
Genre: Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-22 17:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17063594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedandelions/pseuds/whitedandelions
Summary: Pokemon are real and people are ecstatic.  Mark doesn’t really care about all that, besides the implications for Facebook, until Eduardo becomes the League Champion, and suddenly, Mark is asking his assistant to pick up a Pikachu.





	Irresponsible

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aroceu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroceu/gifts).



> happy yuletide! Saw that pokemon was in your actives list and that you wanted some catalyst to get them back together so hopefully this hits your wants. hope you enjoy! :D

 

“We can get you a Raichu, sir,” says his assistant, and Mark shrugs. 

The Pikachu is cute, cuter than he has any right to be.  He doesn’t give him a nickname, just pats him on the head, and then Pikachu is running up his arm and perching on his shoulder.  He’s so light, it doesn’t hurt, and Mark feels more like a Pokemon trainer.

He dismisses the assistant, and sits back down, the Pikachu still on his shoulder.  He moves his mouse, and when his computer screen lights up, he points at it.

It’s open to Eduardo’s Facebook page, the achievement still at the very top.  Became League Champion! It says, with a smiley face, and there’s a picture accompanying it.  Eduardo’s choice of pokemon is a Dragonite, so it only makes sense that Mark’s would be a Pikachu.

“See that?” he asks his Pikachu, and his Pokémon dutifully looks at the screen.  “That’s the guy we’re going to beat.”

* * *

He’s coding and Pikachu is exploring his office.

He wonders if he should hire someone to help get his Pikachu ready to battle when Dustin comes barging in.

“You got a Pikachu?” he asks, and Mark regretfully takes off his headphones.  “How boring, Mark,” he continues, but he holds out his hand and Pikachu comes closer, and he all but coos.  Mark resists the urge to kick him out of the office.

“Yes,” he says, and closes his laptop.  He rubs his eyes and when he opens them, Dustin is staring at him.

“This wouldn’t happen to do with you-know-who, would it?”

Mark kicks Dustin out of his office.

He leaves a post-it note chiding him about Pikachu, and Mark takes Pikachu out to the training grounds.

* * *

He nearly gives his employees a heart attack when he shows up. 

“We thought you were going to hire someone,” a random employee admits, and Mark just shrugs.  He can’t be offended, he was thinking of doing the same.

It isn’t like the games.  Not even the new VR games can compare to actually learning how to battle.  The first time his Pikachu takes an ember to the face, he nearly faints.   He rushes over, despite the fact that Pikachu is perfectly fine and still standing, and all but cuddles him against his chest.

Pikachu stares at him, and Mark takes him back to the office.

* * *

“I can’t do it,” he admits to Eduardo’s facebook page.

Eduardo, his new profile picture changed to match his new status as the League Champion, doesn’t say anything back.

Mark continues anyway.  “Figures you’ll be fine with it, you brought that chicken with you everywhere.”

“You really need to stop doing that,” says Dustin, and Mark looks up.  Dustin’s yawning, and yeah, Mark forgot he let Dustin crash there in the afternoon.

He ignores Dustin’s advice and closes the window.  “Do you still talk to him?”

“Yeah?” answers Dustin, tentatively, and Mark files that information away for later since there’s a notification on his e-mail, and information about Eduardo comes after Facebook is okay.

* * *

Maybe Pikachu is too cute.  He needs to find a different pokemon for battle. 

He really needs to get over this setback if he wants to face Eduardo, so he takes a Pokemon quiz on Buzzfeed.

As he stares at his result, Pikachu comes over and nuzzles his hand.  He looks at Pikachu’s cute eyes and wonders if it’s really a good idea for him to take care of another Pokemon.  He can barely take care of Pikachu as it is.

* * *

Dustin books them both seats to watch the Challenger face off against Eduardo.  He goes, but only after making it clear to Dustin he’s only doing it as a _favor_ , and glowers when they get there.  Dustin hadn’t mentioned he got them front row seats.

He’s not allowed to bring Pikachu, so he fidgets nervously in the seat next to Dustin.  Dustin doesn’t say anything, instead enjoying his nachos and pizza with great vigor, and Mark wonders why he said yes. 

Eduardo looks good.  He’s smiling, and only falters briefly when he catches sight of Mark.   Mark’s wearing a baseball mask and a face mask with Pikachu whiskers so he’s pretty sure he should be unrecognizable to everyone else at the very least.

Eduardo looks away and summons his Dragonite.  Mark takes the time to openly drink in the sight of Eduardo, his heart clenching as he really confronts on how much he missed the man.

The battle goes by quickly.  The challenger is no match for Eduardo’s calculating mind and it shows in the way Eduardo tells his Dragonite how to dodge.  The challenger gets more and more flustered, and with just Dragonite, Eduardo ends the challenge.

There’s a stream of reporters that swarm Eduardo, and Mark takes a single step toward it before Eduardo catches his eyes.  He freezes and it seems like time stops before Eduardo pointedly looks away.

His heart clenches and he grabs Dustin’s arm.  “Come on, let’s go,” he says, and Dustin dutifully follows.

* * *

There’s someone waiting in his office.

This is what Mark gets for abandoning the office for a few days, content to stay at home with Pikachu and work from there.  He wonders why his assistant didn’t brief him and pushes the door open.

Whatever quip he had been planning to say dies on his lips immediately.

“Mark,” says Eduardo, and he looks like he’s going to continue when he looks up and sees Pikachu.  “Is he yours?”

He nods, too shell-shocked to do anything else, and watches as Eduardo stands and approaches him.  Pikachu, the traitor, jumps onto Eduardo’s shoulder when he reaches out and Eduardo laughs, reaching a hand up to pet Mark’s Pikachu.

Mark stares because he thought he would never see Eduardo laugh again.  The thought that he had and that it’s happening right now in front of him makes him feel weird and he makes a face.

Eduardo’s face falls, “I shouldn’t have come.”

“No,” he blurts out before Eduardo can do anything stupid and suddenly leave because that is definitely not what Mark wants.  “Stay,” he says, and that’s enough to make Eduardo’s face brighten.

* * *

Eduardo stays.  He has a lot of things to say about Mark owning a Pikachu, none of them good, but Mark can’t say he minds.  Eduardo shows Mark what Pokeblocks to feed Pikachu, and off-handly remarks that he thinks Mark would do amazing in contests.  Mark shoves him at that comment, because really, Mark has no intention of ever joining a contest, and it’s okay because all Eduardo does is laugh and shove him back.

It feels like they’re in college again, despite Mark not apologizing yet, and he wonders why Eduardo is being so nice to him.  At the thought, he goes and tells his chef to make as many pokeblocks as she can for Eduardo’s pokemon and presents it to him the next day.  He definitely ignores Eduardo’s eye roll and focuses on feeding Eduardo’s dragonite a particular combination that apparently dragon pokemon like.

Eduardo moves in with him because Mark has so many rooms in his house and Eduardo shouldn’t be paying for a hotel, and Eduardo goes only after making it clear it’s for Pikachu’s health.   Eduardo teaches Pikachu how to battle, and Pikachu takes to it swimmingly.  Mark doesn’t care though, he’s not going to let Pikachu get hurt ever again.

“Dustin told me,” says Eduardo, late one night.  Eduardo’s drinking wine and Mark a beer, and it’s comfortable in front of the fireplace in the middle of winter.  “He was worried about Pikachu.”

Mark lets out an exasperated sigh and nothing else, because he figured that out a long time ago.  “He worries too much,” he says, and Eduardo shakes his head.

“I’m glad he came to me,” says Eduardo, quietly.  “Pikachu was okay,” he continues, “but you weren’t.”

“I – “ he starts, defensively, and that swallows his next words.  Eduardo’s right, he wasn’t okay, not without Eduardo in his life.  He got Pikachu just to feel a bit closer to Eduardo and that’s …

“Thank you,” he says, instead, and Eduardo looks at him in shock.

“You’re welcome,” he says, eventually, and they fall into a comfortable silence.

* * *

Eduardo can’t stay forever. 

But he always comes back.

Mark gives him a room.  He hires a construction company to build an area for Eduardo’s pokemon.  Dustin and Chris both share a look when he does so, and Mark pretends he doesn’t notice.

A year passes, and on Eduardo’s birthday, Mark gifts him some Facebook stock from his own.  Eduardo looks at him, understanding the apology for what it is, and doesn’t say anything else.

At night, when they’ve said good night to the Pokemon, Eduardo and him are alone.

“Why did you come back?” Mark asks, suddenly curious, and Eduardo looks up.  “I know you said for Pikachu, but – “

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” asks Eduardo, sounding amused, and he gets closer.  “For you, obviously.”

He knew, of course he knew, but he hadn’t let himself believe it.  Now, with Eduardo holding his hands, he wonders if he should’ve asked a long time ago.

* * *

“You guys are sickening,” says Dustin, but he’s smiling as he says so.

“Yeah,” agrees Mark, his attention on his own Facebook page.  For the first time in who knows how long, his Facebook profile picture is not of just him, but of Eduardo, him, and Pikachu.

 


End file.
